A conventional ring base includes a ring band and a jewelry stone display. Display includes a multi-prong setting for retaining a stone. The multi-prong setting usually injures the outer surface of the stone retained therein because of the sharpness and the hardness of the prongs, thereby causing the decrease in the quality of the stone.
Furthermore, a conventional ring setting with replaceable stones includes an inclined cylindrical shoulder that defines the seat for the jewelry stone. Mounted on one of the external side of the setting is an upstanding finger with a rounded top end. Through the top of the rounded end of the finger is a through opening. Near the bottom of the finger, on the outer surface, there is an indentation. The finger is generally made integral with the setting, but could be affixed to the setting by adhesives or welding or any suitable means.
The undersurface of the cover has a cylindrical (or oval) inclined wall that defines a seat. It is intended to sit over the top portion (or crown) of the stone and to hold it in place against the setting. On each end of the cover there are parallel opposed eyes with through holes or openings. The eyes fit around the rounded end on the top of the finger and the openings are in alignment with the through opening. A pivot pin is then passed through the openings and it secures the cover to the finger. In this way, the cover can be pivoted about the finger to permit its opening and closing.
The link includes through openings at its top and bottom. The top of the link is placed between the eyes on the end of the cover and the openings are in alignment with the openings in the top of the link. A pivot pin is then passed through the openings to secure the link and cover together. This will also permit the pivotal movement of the cover and link with respect to each other.
The locking means has a central circular (or oval) section. On one end are opposed parallel eyes with through openings. The lower end of the link is placed between the eyes of the lock and the openings at the lower end of the link are in alignment with the openings of the eyes of the lock. A pivot pin is used to hold the link and the lock together. Extending upward from the planar surface of the lock is an upstanding tab. This is meant for engagement with the indentation on the lower end of the finger.
With the cover in a raised position, a stone is placed in the setting. Then, the cover pivots about the finger and closes over the stone to hold it in place. The link is then pivoted along the side of the setting and the lock is then pivoted along the undersurface of the setting and the tab at the end of the lock engages the indentation on the finger to frictionally hold the entire mechanism in place. In this manner, the stone is held securely in place.
To remove the stone, the tab on the lock is pushed downward to release it from the indentation on the finger. This permits the free movement of the lock and the link and permits the cover to be raised, to permit the removal of the stone and the replacement with another stone.
The conventional ring setting with replaceable stones as mentioned above still suffers some problem. For example, the stones to be retained therein have to be identically dimensioned, which limits the user to put stones with an identical size into the conventional ring setting. Therefore, there is still a demand for providing a ring base which can protect the stone from any injury and can retain stones with different sizes.